Nightlife

Analog survival in a digital age

Back in 2005, Glitterati.be was a popular nightlife-and-fashion webzine yours truly was extremely proud of. Times have changed, life has moved on, but the original Glitterati website still has a special place in my heart. Its most popular post was titled Culture Club: history of a nightlife phenomenon. Now and then people still ask me if they can get a copy. For old times’ sake, I’ve decided to translate and update the article. Please enjoy the complete story of the legendary Culture Club nightclub in Ghent.

Mash-ups are made by combining two separate songs, thereby creating a completely new track. They typically combine the vocals of one song with the instrumental version of another, but other approaches exist and more than two songs can be involved. Views on the history of mash-up vary. Personally, I consider the megamixes of the 70s and 80s (Stars on 45, Mirage, Patrick Cowley, etc) as a precursor, with the practice being implicitly present in mixing culture for decades and brought to the surface by 2manyDJs around the turn of the century. The phenomenon has resulted in very popular tracks, some hugely popular as bootleg records, some re-released (or re-recorded) officially, a dedicated MTV show and mainstream artists even collaborating and doing live bootlegs. This playlist contains my favorite ones, including one by yours truly. Pretty sure that you’ll be surprised to find out that some are in fact mash-ups, as they are more popular than the originals. Full track listing if you continue reading.

The chance of a lifetime 🙂 Invest 200,000,000 baht very securely in ‘a number of go – go bars’ … live, dream and reside in Thailand with a healthy income. Let’s just ignore the fact that with 200 million baht (about 50 million euro) you and a few generations to come can do that anyway … this type of ad doesn’t exactly bode well anyone involved. Some mother do have ’em 🙂

In 1997, a new venue was added to Antwerp’s nightlife scene. Zillion took the use of technology to new levels, added an element of showmanship to night time entertainment and became an overnight success. Legal troubles surfaced from the very beginning and would ultimately lead to its demise in 2002. With plenty of media attention, several plot lines, plenty of drama, suggested criminal activity, potential stock market manipulation and sexual intrigue, the story warrants its own article (*coming*) and has the potential for a blockbuster movie. However, Zillion also leaves a lasting legacy and a devoted following. This playlist contains tracks straight from its dance floor. For most people they are trance classics, but for regular visitors they will always be Zillion Classics. Complete track listing if you continue reading.

Last time, I told you the story of Popcorn music and how it was the precursor to modern day nightlife and the record culture. Just like its cousin Northern Soul, Popcorn eventually gave way to the disco era. Belgians hadn’t lost their eclectic taste and preference for pitched-down records and soon grew tired of disco. In the mid Eighties, the first sign emerged in Antwerp’s Ancienne Belgique club were legendary DJ Dikke Ronny (‘Fat Ronny’) started playing a mix of ska, synth pop, new wave, jazz and other obscure records. Initially, this was known as AB music. The real spark came when Ronny played Flesh by A Split second at the slower 33 rpm (+8) tempo. The sound struck a chord and Ronny’s successor Marc Grouls labelled it New Beat. The mood was recreated by playing other tracks at the same speed, and the popularity skyrocketed. Because of this, independent labels started producing new records with the same hypnotizing feel and sales went to the roof, unexpectedly. Mainstream media initially ignored the movement which grew to monstrous dimensions, even spawning its very own way of dancing and very specific fashion statements. When radio and television caved, New Beat went mainstream and peaked from ’87 to ’89, in parallel with Chicago’s Acid house movement. New Beat records started being released in extremely high numbers, quality dropped and the audience grew tired. Because of this, many classics slipped into obscurity. The impact and legacy of New Beat should not be underestimated: many producers learned their trade in this short period of time and the movement would lead to the Rave culture in the Netherlands and the UK. That is a story for another time. The playlist contains my personal favorites (track listing if you continue reading). If you would like to learn more, I highly recommend Joseph Devillé’s The Sound of Belgium documentary and this video by the Dewaele brothers.

Those of you into the electronic music and techno scene: there is no denying that Thai DJ Nakadia is hitting it big. Jet setting ’round the world 24/7, headlining a second upcoming Thai tour along with Sven Väth, … can’t help but root for this Isaan country girl with the friendly demeanour, she deserves every bit of success. Below is her set at Family Piknik (Germany) and a nice extra is her contribution to Belgian Techno hero Marco Bailey‘s podcast Electronic Force. Do notice how her skills have evolved in the two years between both recording. I personally do wish her all the best. Oh, and Naka: I am going to hold you to that interview, the first time we are in Nakhon Ratchasima at the same time.

This week’s Sunday Techno mix is Nakadia‘s July set, as broadcasted by Ibiza Global Radio. From a country girl in my Thai hometown of Nakhon Ratchasima to a rising star jetsetting around the world, she has my deepest respect. I am going to keep her to her promise of an interview, the first time we are in the Land of Smiles at the same time. Enjoy!

Dark and rainy outside? Iris Menza‘s set from the Feestgedruis stage at Cirque Magique will whisk you away to greener pastures. This former editor of the Glitterati fashion-and-nightlife webzine is happy to see her still going strong and one of the best dressed spinners in the local scene. Another shoutout to Slash9.tv, for their efforts in getting local sets online in brilliant audio/video quality.

This week’s sunday mix kind of breaks the mold of Sunday Techno, with yours truly in a deeper mood. Solomun holds the Solomun + 1 residency where he invites other turntable heroes to spin back to back. This leads to interesting results, culminating in the set below with Âme‘s Kristian Beyer. Solomun’s Diynamic style with Âme’s restrained and layered melancholic sauce. Hear the crowd cheer the lads on around 31:02. You moved me.